


I Just Want to Help

by mggislife2789



Category: Criminal Minds, Spencer Reid - Fandom
Genre: Cerebral Palsy, F/M, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 09:22:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11399679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mggislife2789/pseuds/mggislife2789
Summary: Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original stories. This is only for fun. It's where my brain goes after the credits roll. No copyright intended. Better safe than sorry. ;)





	I Just Want to Help

Very slight, barely perceptible and only occasional walking on her toes.

The ability to write perfectly well, but not be able to pick up fairly lightweight objects with the same hand. 

Unknowingly clenching her fists on occasion.

If Spencer didn’t know any better he’d say Y/N had a very mild case of Cerebral Palsy, but was she aware and just hadn’t told him, or was it so mild that she’d never noticed it before, or maybe his overactive brain was just moving a mile a minute and seeing things where there was actually nothing? He had no idea.

All of a sudden, the barista handed Y/N a cup of coffee, letting go before she had a good grip on the cup, which unfortunately sent it shooting to the ground at her feet, hot liquid spraying all over her legs and onto the floor. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” The barista came out from behind the counter, spouting excessive apologies as she dried Y/N’s legs with a handful of napkins.

“It’s okay,” she said. Her eyes were darting around between the barista, the coffee, Spencer and pretty much everything else in the cafe. “It was my fault. I couldn’t get a grip on it for some reason.” After getting dried off, she placed another order for a second cup, which Spencer grabbed this time. “Sorry for making a scene, Spence. I know how you hate being the center of attention.”

Spencer walked carefully with Y/N down a mini grouping of three steps and sat on the cushy couch they normally stayed when they were here. “It’s fine,” he said, smoothing back her hair after having put the coffee cups on the table in front of the couch. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” He lifted her legs into his lap, ensuring there were no burns. “Can I ask you something?” The thought came out of his mouth before he even thought about it. Last thing, he wanted to do was insult her, because that’s absolutely not how he meant it, but he also wanted to be able to help with things (even grabbing a simple cup of coffee) if it meant her avoiding these instances that drew the kind of attention she hated. 

“Sure, Spence.” She pulled her legs off his lap and curled into him, grabbing the cup with both hands and bringing it up to her lips.

He swallowed hard, unsure of where to begin. “It’s just…we’ve been dating for three months, and I’ve noticed some things.” She was slightly confused, but she said nothing, instead listening as he listed off the few things about her walking and motor skills that led him to his conclusion. “Do you have a mild form of CP?”

Her face dropped, tears forming in her eyes before she looked him in the eye. “Yea,” she said, as a small teardrop fell. “You know my mom was a special education teacher so she noticed that I wasn’t hitting milestones when I should have been. It’s been mild, but it’s also been hard…when things like that happen.” Y/N cocked her head toward the counter where they could both still see the sheen of mopped up coffee on the floor. “Most people don’t notice - or if they do, they just dismiss it as me being clumsy.”

Apparently, the clenching of fists that Spencer had noticed happened more often when she was anxious, but she barely realized she was doing it. “I don’t want this. Any of it.” She buried her head in his shoulder and cried softly while he kissed her forehead. “Because my case wasn’t as severe, any progress I’ve made has been due to my parents shelling out all sorts of money for things that would help me. I fell through the cracks and was dismissed as clumsy. Even in school, when I was still learning to write, I couldn’t get extensions on tests and things because people couldn’t ‘see’ my disability.”

She was sitting comfortably in Spencer’s lap as she told him her story. The worst of it was the walking on her toes, but with the help of corrective boots, it only happened occasionally now, and much less severely. When she reached out again for the coffee cup she’d set down earlier, she couldn’t get a good enough grip, got frustrated and smacked her leg. “I’ve got it,” Spencer said. He held the cup in place in front of her as she steadied her hands and got a good grip on it.

“Thanks,” she smiled. “I’m…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I should have known you’d notice.”

He turned her head into his and gave her another kiss. “You didn’t have to tell me if you didn’t want to. Even after I asked,” he said. He knew as well as anybody that there were just some things that didn’t want to be spoken aloud. “That being said, if there’s ever anything I can do to help, I don’t mind. Even if it means just grabbing your coffee cup.”

After finishing her coffee in silence with Spencer at her side, she placed her legs in his lap again. “Thank you for being so understanding,” she said. “I’m luckier than a lot, but sometimes it’s still hard to have people look at me like a freak. I drop stuff all the time.”

“It doesn’t matter to me whether you drop things or not. Maybe we can work on some strength exercises for your hands,” he said excitedly, immediately straightening his back and turning his head toward her. “If you want, that is…I just want to help.”

She was lucky to have him. “I could use some physical therapy again,” she said. “I just haven’t been able to afford it. But if my lovely, genius boyfriend could help me that would be the next best thing.” Another few minutes passed by before they decided to leave and go grab something to eat down the street. As she reached down for her bag, the strap slipped out of her grasp.

“Do you want me to get that?”

She sighed. Her coordination and motor skills were always worse after an earlier incident - it was almost subconscious. “If you could lift it and put it over my shoulder that would be great,” she replied. “And Spence-” She grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you again. It’s appreciated more than you know.”


End file.
